“Massive scar on the edge of Mount Dandenong”: Montrose locals rebel against planned ridge impact

Eastern Melbourne locals are continuing to hit back against the proposed 30-acre and 32-year expansion of a quarry in Montrose, arguing the removal of a natural ridge would exacerbate dust and noise impacts.

❓How we got here: In October, Boral announced the expansion plans for its Montrose quarry, which would increase the boundary by about 30 acres and provide access to about 26 million tonnes of additional material over about 32 years.

• Boral has submitted a referral for the Planning Minister to consider if an environment effects statement (EES) – an in-depth analysis of a project’s environmental impacts – would be required before plans could be approved.

🪧 Local meeting: Following a recent protest on the site and online petitions attracting close to 3,500 signatures, about 150 local residents and members of the STOP the Montrose Quarry Expansion group came together on Wednesday December 3 to discuss potential next steps.

📦 Moving out: One of the presenters was Melissa, a local parent and a teacher at a school near the quarry, who spoke to the Eastern Melburnian on the condition of only giving her first name.

• She said she had been a Montrose resident for the past 13 years, but she and her family would have to consider leaving the area if the expansion went ahead, due to fears around the health impacts on herself and her children.

• 🗣️“It's not an environment that we want to be staying in,” Melissa said.

⛰️ A natural buffer: The southern side of the quarry site is bordered by the forested hillcrest Callam’s Ridge.

• Melissa and others opposed to the pit’s extension argue the effect of removing part of the ridge would increase the risk of exposure to dust and noise. 

• 🗣️ “It's this massive scar right on the edge of Mount Dandenong,” Melissa said.

🚛 What does Boral say? A Boral spokesperson said the proposed plan would "predominantly have a minimal effect on the landscape and surrounding visual amenity”.

• The spokesperson said widening the pit into the southern edge of the site aims to move quarrying activities away from the densely occupied Ash Grove and Kirkwood Court towards less populated areas to the south and southwest of the site.

• 🗣️ “There will be an impact to the north-west side of the ridge that will be internally facing to the operational site, minimising any impact on the external visual amenity and shielding the majority of the quarry from the view of residents to the south of the expanded operations,” said the spokesperson.

⏭️ What’s next: Following recent changes to the state’s Planning Provisions, the power to approve or decline the extension sits with Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny, who is also able to fast track the process. 

• A state government spokesperson said the Boral proposal "will be considered on its merits".